Stampin' Up!© Blending Brushes

 Have you seen the new Blending Brushes that are in the 2021 January-June Mini Catalog!  I love these!

Blending Brushes - Item 153611

In the past, I've struggled a little bit with sponging backgrounds.  Has that happened to you?  So I couldn't wait to try these new brushes.  Wow!  I am getting much better results with them, when I want a subtle focal point on a card or a background for my stamping, or even when I'm coloring in some of the black and white DSP images.

I want to share some of the cards, today.  For all 3 cards I've kept a color palette of grays and yellows.

For this first card, I started with white card stock and Bumblebee ink.  To use the Blending Brushes, I stroked the brush over the ink pad several times to load some ink.  Then, just prior to blending on the card stock, I lightly tapped the ink-loaded brush onto a piece of scrap.  This will help prevent a "glob" of color onto the CS.  I moved to the white card stock, and with light circular motion, I blended the ink onto the center of the card stock, "feathering" out to the edges.  NOTE: Start with light touch, and light color - you can always go darker.  Keep adding ink, blending, until you get the desired look.

The stamp set I used is Beauty Abounds, which is in the Annual Catalog. 

Stamp set:  Beauty Abounds, Item 148726

 I stamped the circles and the "flecks" from the set, in Bumblebee ink.  I stamped the scroll-floral image and the butterfly image in Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  The sentiment is also from the same set - stamped in Tuxedo black onto white scrap and banner cut (fussy cut, but you can use a punch if you like).  I cut a scrap of Bumblebee CS to mount under the sentiment.  I adhered these to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.  The card base is Bumblebee CS, and a layer of Basic Gray CS backs the stamped layer.

Card measurements:

• Card base:  Bumblebee card stock, 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", folded at 4 1/4".
• Layer:  Basic Gray CS, 5 1/4" x 4".
• Stamped layer:  Basic White CS, 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".

This 2nd card shows how you can blend color onto Designer Series Paper.

I chose to use the beautiful DSP from the 2021 Jan-June Mini found in the Love You Always Suite (Item155977).  The DSP is called True Love (Item 154281, if  you're wanting to order separate from the Suite).  It's a collection of black & white papers, including florals, stripes, polka-dots, and geometrics.  I chose two of the floral selections and one of the stripes.  

Using the Blending Brush and Bumblebee ink, I colored in the flowers in the DSP, having the ink darker in the flower centers, and lighter as I worked out toward the petal edges.  I then fussy cut these out.

I layered a striped piece of the DSP onto the smaller floral DSP.  I wrapped a length of Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon ribbon (Item 153658) along the top edge of the striped DSP.  Then I adhered this panel onto a Bumblebee CS card base. 

Wrap ribbon before adhering to card base.

 The "Love" is cut using the Always Dies from the same Suite of products (Item155977) -  (or individually available - Item 154307; or in Bundle Forever & Always 156200).  The word is cut in white, and the background is cut in Bumblebee.  Using Liquid Mulitpurpose Glue, I adhered the pieces together, then glued them to the striped piece.  The large flowers were added to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Always Dies for "Love"

Card measurements:

• Card base:  Bumblebee CS 11" x 4 1/4", fold at 5 1/2".
• DSP layer:  5 1/4" x 4".
• Strip of DSP:  4" x 1 3/4". 
• Scrap of Bumblebee CS, and scrap of white CS to die cut "Love" and the underlayer.
• Length of ribbon (optional):  approx. 5" (enough to wrap around the back of the layered DSP.

My 3rd card shows how to blend ink in an ombre look for the background (graduated dark to light color).

Since I was using a palette of yellows, I started with a piece Very Vanilla card stock.  The 3 inks I used were Bumblebee, Mango Melody, and Pumpkin Pie.

Ombre blending, top to bottom

I started blending from the top to the bottom, not going all the way to the bottom - leaving some of the Vanilla CS showing as the final color.   I started with Bumblebee ink and blended across the entire width of CS, gradually fading out before I got to the bottom.  Next, I added Mango, again from the top down, but not going as far down - leaving some of the Bumblebee ink showing.  Lastly, I did the same with Pumpkin, but didn't go too far into the Mango, keeping more to the top of the layer.

The stamp sets I used on this card are Corner Bouquet (Item 155273 - a SAB free item with a qualifying purchase) and Garden Wishes from the 2021 JJ Mini (Item 154408 if ordered alone, or Bundle Item 156220, or in the Dandy Garden Suite Item 155981). 

From the Corner Bouquet set I stamped the image in Tuxedo Black ink; from the Garden Wishes set I stamped the little bee and the sentiment, also in Tuxedo Black ink.

Bumblebee CS for card base; layer of Basic Gray (not shown); stamped images on Vanilla.

This stamped panel was adhered to a layer of Basic Gray CS, and then adhered to the Bumblebee CS card base.

Card measurements:

Card base:  Bumblebee CS, 11" x 4 1/4", fold at 5 1/2".

Layer:  Basic Gray CS, 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".

Stamped panel:  Basic White, 5 1/4" x 4".

There you have 3 ways to use the Stampin' Blending Brushes.  I hope you are inspired by these cards to try some of your own creation.  Do you have a favorite card?  a favorite technique?  

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Sale-a-Bration is going on now.  For each qualifying order of either $50, or $100 - choose something free from the SAB Catalog.   This year SAB is for 2 months, January & February.  (There will be another SAB later in the year!).   Shop from the new 2021 January-June Mini Catalog or from the Annual Catalog, to make that qualifying order, and get stamp sets or DSP from SAB.  Click the catalog images in this blog's right panel to see the PDFs.      SHOP now in my online store.

HOST CODE FOR JANUARY:   WVM6UKEH

If you have any questions, please let me know.  I would love to help you with your crafting projects in any way I can.  Let me know, too, if you are needing a Demonstrator; I would love to be yours!

Thank you so much for taking a look at the blog today.  I appreciate it and hope you'll be back again soon.  Don't miss any posts!  Subscribe to my blog to get it directly to your inbox.  See the form on the side panel near the top of this blog.

Okay, that's all for today!

Stay safe, be well, and take care.......Julie